Newspaper Page Text
4 • The Red and Black • Friday, January 19, 1990
OPINIONS
■ QUOTABLE
"It Is such a fantastic gift because It is for programs as opposed
to buildings."
-Thomas Russell, College of Journalism dean on the $300,000
gift from the Cox fund.
The Red & Black
Katabhahed 1893—Incorporated 1980
An independent atudent new a pa per not affiliated with the University of Georgia
Charlene Smith/Editor-in-Chief
Amy Bellew/Managing Editor
Robert Todd/Opinions Editor
■ EDITORIALS
SA lobby
It’s easy to sit around and think about how we’d like
things to be. It’s easy to watch while others accept the
burden of defending our freedoms. But it’s not so easy
to stand up for our freedoms before they are taken
away.
The Student Association wants to take the
University student voice to the Legislature and lobby
for changes on two bills that would suspend or expel
students and student organizations convicted on drug
charges.
The voice of college students across the state needs
to be heard and this project is one of the best things the
SA can do for its constituents.
With this project, the SA could fulfill its role as a
true representation of student opinion. SA, of which
every student is a member, will discuss its lobbying
plans at the next meeting, Tuesday night, where SA
senators will vote on amendments to sell to the
legislators.
The one proposed at the last meeting doesn’t go far
enough. The SA should take a more radical approach.
Merely changing the proposal to apply to felony drug
charges instead of misdemeanors doesn’t change the
principal evil of the bills, which discourage
rehabilitation by not allowing convicted drug offenders
to better themselves through education.
It is critical for the the SA to present the opinions of
the entire student body it represents, and not just the
views of a few SA senators. The SA did the right thing
by not voting on the amendment Tuesday when several
of the senators had already left the meeting.
The SA has also taken the initiative to get the
student governments from Georgia State University
and Georgia Institute of Technology involved in their
efforts. Representing the students of the state’s
flagship university, so far the SA has done what it
should in taking the lead.
The more students who raise their voices on this
issue, the more of a difference they can make. Help the
SA and at the same time help yourself. Contact SA and
tell the senators how you feel about these proposals.
The SA will vote on the position to take in their
lobbying efforts. Make sure that stance reflects the
opinion of the University students.
The SA office telephone number is: 542-8584.
We want more
The many events of Martin Luther King Week have
proven to be both successful and enjoyable. One such
event, the round table discussion, was especially
interesting, informative and entertaining.
The program was sponsored by the Committee for
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Celebration and
modelled after the popular public television program
“Meeting of the Minds.” All involved with the program
deserve praise for a fine effort.
The quality of the round table and the favorable
response it received lead one to question: Why aren’t
there more programs like it at the University? Rather
than just offer this once a year, the University Union
should sponsor programs like this throughout the year.
Tom Ellis, who worked with the performers at
Tuesday’s Round Table, developed the format for the
program. He said he would help the Union because
such programs are worthwhile.
Ellis also said that with the cooperation of students,
the Union and the history, drama, English and political
science departments, several entertaining and
thought-provoking programs could be presented.
Thomas Lauth, political science department head,
said he would be willing to help such a program.
It’s up to the Union’s Ideas and Issues Committee
to capitalize on this support and bring more quality
programs to the University.
STAFF
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FEEALLTlWyOUCAMFlE
IK MV. JOE FWHKWW ARMY,.
0
Propaganda assualts rights of young
Sigma Chi’s expulsion by the Student Judi
ciary represents the latest fall-out in a contin
uing assault on the rights of young people.
The conventional wisdom holds that the fra
ternity had repeatedly violated the rules and
was justly booted. Behind this idea is the con
servative doctrine that says young people de
serve less rights, privileges, and status in
society.
Media manipulation by various interests has
spurred the current wave of age-discrimination
which is sweeping the nation.
The Open Party Policy, imposed by the Divi
sion of Student Affairs, resulted from media-
hype concerning a “near-riot” at Memorial Hall.
That description was offered-up by some ded
icated officers of the law who happened upon
the scene.
University President Charles Knapp stepped
into the media spotlight and ordered Dwight
Douglas, Vice President for Student Affairs, to
fix the problem.
The City’s Open Container Law was simi
larly originated. Here, officers set-up a video
camera outside Stone wall’s and then played the
tape to the City Council. Instead of arresting vi
olators of existing city laws, the officer’s pur
posefully did nothing so they could use the tape
to call for more laws.
Scott
Starling
At Sigma Chi’s party, police officers were
hired to provide security. By the officer’s own
admission, they arrived late and then refused
to enter the house. The intent was to allow the
situation to deteriorate in order to manipulate
the media.
Any officer worth his salt knows that a cer
tain level of security is required at public
events. To ignore these requirements is police
politics of the worse kind.
Other unfair propaganda concerned the
death of a Morehouse student. Some in the
media declared the death a result of hazing.
Medical records indicated a congenital heart
defect caused the death and that no bruises or
marks indicating hazing were found on the
body.
Despite your feelings about fraternities, re
member this: What the University did to Sigma
Chi they can do to you! This treatment was un
fair and handed down by an illegitimate au
thority.
Student Judiciary, once a worthy organiza
tion whose members were appointed by stu
dents, is now a tool of the Administration used
for political posturing. Today’s Judiciary is
comprised of students appointed by administra
tors like Judicial Program Director Bill Brace-
well. This organization is where the smug
become smugger and where a canabalistic atti
tude is carefully instilled by administrators.
On a national scale, Mothers Against Drunk
Driving, a vigilante group, used a propaganda
video titled “Blood Borders,” to push through
the “21" law, which raised the legal drinking
age to 21 from 19.
To slow the erosion of young people’s rights,
students need to stand together and demand
fairness. Media concerns need to work harder
to distinguish facts from propaganda. Without
solidarity, and without a discerning press, the
rights of younger America will continue to dis
appear.
Scott Starling is a columnist for The Red and
Black.
Story left wrong impression
The Red and Black’s Jan. 16 lead
article alleging that “the Univer
sity’s fund-raising expenses are ex
cessive" is just plain wrong.
Four months ago, The Red and
Black reporter Robert Todd re
quested and was given access to
various financial records of The
University of Georgia Foundation.
After four months of study and
analysis, Todd determined — cor
rectly — that the total expendi
tures of the foundation in fiscal
1989 amounted to $5.39 million,
exclusive of funds spent for schol
arships. If scholarship dollars are
included, 1989 foundation expendi
tures totaled $6.7 million.
Todd determined that part of the
total 1989 foundation expenditures
included $174,026 for postage;
$197,439 for travel; $248,845 for
printing and photography; $262,-
879 for administration and $592,-
295 for entertainment. Those
totals are basically correct.
Everything else stated in Todd’s
article is incorrect — his analysis,
his conclusions and the impres
sions he leaves.
Of the $5.39 million in founda
tion funds which Todd suggests
were fund-raising expenses, the
foundation financial statements
show that only $233,360 were
spent by the University Devel
opment office. And even if founda
tion expenditures for all other
institutional advancement pro
grams (e g., for alumni relations,
public information and alumni de
velopment services) are counted as
fund-raising “expenses,” the total
would only be $611,448, a figure
which is less than 10 percent of all
foundation expenditures last year.
The remainder of the $5.39 mil
lion in non-scholarship monies are
spent to carry out the purposes for
which the donors of those funds in
tended.
Another example of Todd’s incor
rect reporting can be found in his
characterization of the $592,295 in
entertainment expenditures as
fund-raising expenses. Of all the
entertainment expenses in fiscal
1989, the University Development
office spent $49,120 for enter
taining prospective and current do
nors. And the alumni relations
office spent all of $42,136 on food
and drink for key alumni.
The only source of funds at the
University to pay for meals is the
University foundation. State law
prohibits the use of state-appropri
ated monies for those purposes. Of
the total fiscal 1989 University ex
penditures of more than $435 mil
lion, only $592,295 — slightly more
than 1 percent — was spent for all
food-related activities which our
accountants categorize as “enter
tainment.”
Albeit it is difficult to do so, I can
forgive Todd’s blunders and hope
that any damage can be repaired.
But I cannot forgive Todd’s so-
called expert, Scott Cutlip, upon
whom Todd depended for guidance
and “expertise'’ in these matters.
Cutlip was a former dean of the
College of Journalism and was part
of the inner circle of the Univer
sity’s administration for many
years; he knows full well how the
University foundation works and
how its funds are utilized. Cutlip
had control of and spent a great
deal of those monies himself. He
has obviously encouraged Todd’s
inaccurate reporting even though
he knows full well the story is
wrong. I suppose Cutlip’s conduct
is to be expected since he has spent
so much of his time in recent years
engaging in clandestine attempts
to undermine and criticize the ad
ministration’s efforts to increase
the level of private giving to the
university. In that respect, Todd
has performed a service to us all by
requiring Cutlip to make his ill-
founded attacks on the record. It is
a shame that Cutlip sets so poor an
example for those young journal
ists.
In its follow-up story on Jan. 17,
The Red and Black reports cor
rectly that a recent national survey
of college and university fund
raising costs shows the University
at the low end. Among 51 institu
tions surveyed by the highly re
puted Council for Advancement
and Support of Education covering
fiscal 1986-88, the University’s
overall fund-raising expenses aver
aged 8 cents for every $1 raised for
all schools surveyed.
It is disappointing that The Red
and Black continues to stand by a
story which is riddled with un
truths. I hope that this response
helps set the record straight and
allays any fears that current and
roepective donors may have about
ow their funds are expended.
Nik Edes
Vice President for Development
and Unlveritty Relatione
■ FORUM
□ The Red and Black welcomes letters to the editor and prints them in the Forum
column as space permits. All letters are subject to editing for length, style and li
belous material. Letters should be typed, doublespaced and must include the name,
address and daytime telephone number of the writer. Please include student classifi
cation and major other appropriate identification. Names can be omitted with a valid
reason upon request. Letters can be sent by U.S. mail or brought in person to The Red
and Black’s offices at 123 N. Jackon St.. Athens, Ga.
Thanks for story
In reference to Robert Todd’s ar
ticle detailing the expenditures,
revenues and general operations of
the University of Georgia Founda
tion, I would like to offer a sincere
thanks to Todd for opening stu
dent’s eves to one of the many
facets of the University which we
don’t often get to see.
Secondly, in response to Vice
President Nik Edes* rebuttal com
ments, published January 17, I
find myself inclined to point out a
couple of points to Edes. He knew
when first approached that Todd
was writing an article for public
distribution yet he still offered only
a carefully selected set of com
ments and information for his use.
It was only after he realized that
the article had shown him in a bad
light that he decided to share all
the pertinent facts with the public.
Edes’ job as a public official re
quires that he be fully accessible
and accountable to the public you
represent. So far he has demon
strated that he not only is secre
tive, but also can become overly
defensive and accusative when
given unflattering press coverage.
If Nik Edes is only going to be
fully cooperative when his anger is
spurred, or when he is guaranteed
favorable newspaper articles, I
suggest he find another field of
work.
Dean Robinson
senior, educational therapy
Studies program
This letter is written in response
to Mark Cornwell’s letter con
cerning the African-American
Studies Program. The completion
of this program by no means de
notes segregation. There are many
white people across the country in
terested in African-American
studies. I have several friends at
Emory who major in African Amer
ican studies.
One thing Cornwell doesn’t seem
to realize is that many of the
courses at the University are
taught from white male perspec
tives. For example, most American
literature survey courses exclude
important black and women
writers. However, African-Amer
ican courses carry correct titles
and are not mandatory. Black stu
dents must take these special
courses if they want to read black
authors —authors who are just as
American and just as important as
those covered in survey courses.
Cornwell may be correct in saying
that blacks are not treated as bru
tally as in the past but I can assure
him that discrimination is alive
and well in America.
The difference between black
and white cultures is something to
be respected. Like the Jewish
people of World War II, black
people cannot give up their iden
tity for equality. This difference
must be recognized. The recogni
tion should not lead to racism or
discrimination but to respect, har
mony and, most importantly,
equality.
Brantley D. Moate
senior, religion
Parking rates high
With the cost of parking in
downtown Athens going to 25 cents
per hour thanks to the new
parking meters, and with the cost
of the first hour at one dollar in the
parking deck, the city of Athens
has found a new way to discourage
people from dining and shopping in
the downtown area.
This is one student who is tired
of the old ways that city govern
ments use to make money. So in
light of this city’s “new” ideas this
student has a new idea himself — I
will dine and .shop where parking
is offered ns an incentive, not as a
subtle form of taxation.
Ralph Garcia
graduate atudent, chemletry